Wire-pulling device



March 14, 1939.

s. s. COLT WIRE PULLING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheep 1 Filed Dec. 24, 1937 M -INVENTOR. ,dzmzwixfl azl; BY

ATTORNEY.

INVENTOR.

S. S. COLT WIRE PULLING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 24, 193'7 ATTORNEY.

March 14, 1939.

Patented Mar. 14, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to a novel device for use in withdrawing form wall tie wires from cast concrete and for similar purposes.

This invention has for an object to provide a novel, simple, effective and easily manipulated tool for pulling form wall tie wires out of finished concrete structures upon dismantling forms in which such concrete has been cast.

The invention has for another object to provide a novel tool for the purposes described, comprising a winch-roll means and lever means for applying power thereto, together with a novel means for gripping the wire to be pulled in engaged relation to said winch-roll means, said gripping means being so arranged and con structed as to provide, under proper manipulative conditions, the additional functional purpose of supporting the tool for the accomplishment of an unwinding of pulled wire sections from the winch-roll means and straightening the same sufiiciently to permit detachment of the tool therefrom.

Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be understood from the following detailed description of the same.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the novel wire pulling device according to this invention, the same being shown in operative relation to wires, ready for pulling the same.

Fig. 2 is a front side elevation of the wire pulling device.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the device, showing the performance of the wire pulling operation; Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view, taken on line 44 in Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a view similar to that of Fig. 3, but showing the performance of the device when manipulated to unwind pulled wire sections from cast, in assembled relation preparatory to the casting operation. After the casting of concrete into the form and subsequent to the setting or hardening of the same, the form walls are removed, leaving the tie wires imbedded in the finished concrete mass, with free end portions of said wires projecting outwardly from an exterior surface of said concrete mass. It is desirable to remove said tie-wires so that no metal remains exposed adjacent to the finished concrete, and after the tie-wires are removed, the voids left thereby may be pointed or plugged up with cement, thus providing a satisfactory finished exterior surface for the concrete.

The novel tool, according to this invention, adapted to serve as an implement for withdrawing tie wires from the cast concrete mass, comprises a foot member l2 having a longitudinally slotted upper end portion to provide a guideway l3 for purposes to be described. Formed, preferably, as an integral part of said foot member, and disposed to project forwardly from the outer face thereof, are a pair of laterally spaced apart bearing ears or lugs l4. Supported by and between said bearing ears or lugs I4 is a fulcrum member or pivot pin l5. Pivotally journaled on said fulcrum member or pivot pin I5 is the bifurcated end portion l6 of a hand lever ll. Also rotatably mounted on said fulcrum member or pivot pin 15, between the legs of said bifurcated end portion I6 of the hand lever H, is a winchroll means. In one form thereof, said winchroll means, comprises a pair of winch-roll discs, l8 and I9, arranged side by side. These winchroll discs are interlocked with said hand lever IT by means of a lock-pin 20 which extends therethrough and through the adjacent legs of the bifurcated end portion [6 of said hand lever ll, whereby, swinging movement of the latter is transmitted to the winch-roll discs so as to effect a desired rotative movement thereof. Peripheral portions of each winch-roll disc are preferably provided with a peripheral wire receiving groove or channel 2!, although this is not absolutely essential, since the peripheries may be merely fiat or plain faced, as shown at 22 in Fig. 6. It is also preferable to provide the surfaces of the grooves or channels 2| with roughening such as nurling, teeth or the like 23, whereby a strongerfrictional grip upon wire engaged thereby may be assured. Such nurling or the like may also be applied to the flat or plain face 22 of type of winch-roll disc 24 shown in Fig. 6, if desired.

Pivotally mounted on a transverse pivot pin 25, which is supported by and between the legs of the bifurcated end portion I 6 of the hand lever I7, are devices located above and adapted to cooperate with the winch-roll discs to cause the wire to be operatively gripped thereby. In the arrangement of the tool employing two winchroll discs there are two such devices, respectively cooperative with the respective discs. These devices each comprise an eccentric gripper head 26, having gripping teeth 21 formed on peripheral portions thereof. Extending from each gripper head 26 is a lever arm 28, terminating at its outer free end in an angularly extending abutment member 29, the function of which will be hereinafter disclosed. Threaded through the respective legs of the bifurcated end portion I6 of the hand lever I! are manipulatable lock-screws 30 respectively corresponding to the respective gripper devices. These lock-screws 30 may be manipulated to selectively secure the gripper devices in out of service position when desired.

In order to prevent the legs of the bifurcated end portion I6 of the hand lever II from binding upon or frictionally obstructing free relative turning movement of the gripper devices, the legs are provided with opposed spreader screws SI adapted to be brought into abutting relation and then secured, when suitably adjusted, by lock-nuts 32.

Movably mounted on the bottom of said footmember I2 is an adjustable shoe 33 having an indented upper end portion to provide a passage 39 through which wire or wires II may .extend. Said shoe 33 is provided with a longitudinal slot 34 in which rides the head 35 of a clamp bolt 36 arranged to project outwardly through the body of said foot member I2, and to receive, upon its outwardly projecting end, a lock-nut 31, which, when tightened, draws the clamp bolt head into binding or holding relation to the shoe 33, so as to secure the latter in a desired adjusted position relative to said foot-member I2. To guide the shoe 33 for desired longitudinal adjusting movement, the body thereof isprovided with a stud 38 which enters and rides in the guideway I3 of said foot-member. V

In the use and operation of the toohthe form walls having ordinarily been dismantled and removed from the cast concrete mass II), thus leaving ends of the tie wires II protruding from the surface of the latter, said wires, if necessary, are

cut off to leave comparatively short protruding ends, whereupon the tool is applied over said wire ends in such manner that the latter extend over the peripheries of the winch-roll discs I 8-49. In its initial position, the foot member I2 with its shoe 33 is disposed to abut the surface of the concrete II] from which the wiresI I protrude, and the hand lever II is disposed in an up-raise-d position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. With the parts in such position, the gripper devices are swung downwardly and outwardly to turn the eccentric gripper heads 26 to positions whereby the gripping teeth 2? thereof engage the wires II so as to grip the same in operative engaged relation to the winch-roll discs Iii-I9.

With the parts initially disposed as described, the operator grasps the hand lever I7 and exerts a.-down swinging pull. thereon, thereby causing the winch-roll discs I8I9 to rotate in a clockwise direction, and so as to wind the wires II about the peripheries thereof, as shown in Fig. 3. The winding effect thus exerted-upon the Wires II produces a strong or forceful and steady outward pull upon said wires, which quickly loosens the same from adherence to the surrounding material of the concrete mass III, while at the same time moving the same longitudinally and outwardly relative to the latter.

After the above described operation, and preparatory to removing the tool from the wires I I, it

7 is necessary to unwind the portions of said wires which are wound about the peripheries of the winch-roll discs I8I9. To attain such unwinding, the gripper devices are rotated about the pivoting pin 25 in anti-clockwise direction, to both release their gripping effect upon the wires and to turn the same so that abutment members 29 may be disposed to abut the face of the concrete mass ID, as shown in Fig. 5, whereby the gripper devices serve as fulcrums for movement of the hand lever I! and winch-roll discs I8--I9 about the pivot-pin 25 as a center. When the tool is so arranged, the operator exerts an up swinging pull upon the hand lever I'I, whereby an outward and upward bodily movement is imparted to the winch-roll discs which has the eifect of substantially straightening out the wires I I, while at the same time withdrawing the same from wound relations to and upon the peripheries of said winchroll discs (see Fig. 5). When the wires are thus substantially straightened out, the tool may be readily withdrawn therefrom.

After removal of the tool, the wires II will be found to have been sufiiciently loosened and started out from the concrete mass II], that the same may be easily gripped, by any suitable means, such e. g. as pliers or the like, and entirely withdrawn lengthwise from the concrete. The holes in the concrete left by the withdrawn wires may thereupon be plugged up with cement, thus leaving the concrete wall in a desired finished condition.

The above operations were described as carried on in loosening and withdrawing two wires II, since in many cases the wire is doubled on itself to form the tie connection between form walls. In such case the closed loop of the tie Wire on one side of the form is cut, and the twisted ends thereof at the other side of the form is either untwisted or cut to leave two adjacently projecting end portions to be respectively engaged by the respective winch-roll discs and gripper devices of the tool. In other cases, however, the wire may be single, and in such event, the single projecting end portion is engaged by a selected winch-roll disc and associated gripper device, whereupon the other gripper device may be secured in an out of service position by engaging the same with the associated lock-screw 30.

It will be obvious that the tool may be made with but one winch-roll element and one associated gripper device; and it will also be obvious that the peripheral shape and the thickness of the winch-roll element is subject to more or less variation.

In some cases the tie wire is equipped with washers 4B suitably attached or frictionally bound thereto to serve as abutments against which the inner faces of the form walls engage, so as to maintain the latter in a desired spaced apart 01' spread relation. When such washers 40 are employed, the shoe 33 is suitably adjusted to engage over the outer or exposed face thereof (see Figs. 3 and 4) thus holding the same against outward movement while the tool is operated to pull the wire, both to loosen the latter relative to the washer as well as the concrete, and so as to pull the wire through thewasher as it is withdrawn from the concrete.

I am aware that many changes may be made in the construction of the above described tool, and many apparently widely difierent embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof. It is therefore intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In a tool for the purposes described, a footmember, a hand lever means fulcrumed on said foot-member, Winch-roll means rotative about the fulcrum of said hand lever means, eccentric Wire gripper means pivotally mounted in connection with said hand lever means for cooperation with said winch-roll means, said gripper means having radially extending actuating means, and said actuating means terminating in abutment means operative, when said gripper means is released relative to said winch-roll means, to purchase said hand lever means and winch-roll means for swinging movement about the pivotal connection of said gripper means.

2. In a tool for the purposes described, a foot member having outwardly projecting laterally spaced bearing members, a fulcrum pin supported by said bearing members, a hand lever fulcrumed on said pin, a pair of winch-roll discs rotatively mounted on' said pin, a pair of eccentric wire gripper means pivotally mounted in connection with said hand lever means for cooperation with said winch-roll discs, and means for selectively locking'said gripper means in out of service position.

3. In a tool for the purposes described, a foot member having outwardly projecting laterally spaced bearing members, a fulcrum pin supported by said bearing members, a hand lever fulcrumed on said pin, a pair of winch-roll discs rotatively mounted on said pin, a pair of eccentric wire gripper means pivotally mounted in connection with said hand lever means for cooperation with said winch-roll discs, said gripper means having radially extending actuating means, means cooperative with said actuating means for selectively locking said gripper means in out of service position, and each actuating means terminating in abutment means operative, when said grip-per means is released relative to said winch-roll means, to purchase said hand lever and winchroll means for swinging movement about the pivotal connection of said gripper means.

4. In a tool as defined in claim 2, a shoe having an indented wire passage at its upper end, and means to adjustably secure said shoe to said footmember.

5. In a tool as defined in claim 3, a shoe having an indented wire passage at its upper end, and means to adjustably secure said shoe to said foot-member.

SAMUEL S. COLT. 

